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It can be a tough sell to get qualified tradespeople to stay in your employ, especially when you’re up against the lucrative offerings from mining and resources companies.

When the manager of Eric Scott Electrical and Air Conditioning Services in NSW country town Moree had a retention issue, he borrowed an idea. “I pinched the idea from a bloke in Cairns who was trying to find his son an apprenticeship and was offering anyone who could give him a job free beer for a year. Most blokes like a beer so we thought we could turn it and use it in our favour as a hook,” operation manager Dion Biggs told The Daily Telegraph.

The company has since posted advertisements in local papers headlining the classified with "free beer for a year", and Biggs said the response has been solid.

In the past six months the company lost three staff to the mines, and Biggs said it’s extremely hard to compete with big dollars on offer. “We are a small regional area and are fighting the mines that throw more money at people. As a growing company we need more qualified staff and thought we needed to do something to stop people from leaving,” he said.

Applicants must be fully qualified electricians, over the age of 18 and be “looking for a change”. Depending on experience, the successful applicant will receive between $20 and $50 per hour, and of course, one carton of beer a week.